How You Can Sell Mobile Apps

The app economy is forecast to double in size to $101 billion by 2020, making it one of the fastest growth industries in the world. With so much room for growth, innovation and revenue, many individuals and businesses are looking to enter the industry. While some choose to focus on game related mobile apps, having been inspired by the likes of Angry Birds or Flappy Birds, others are more interested in delivering apps for businesses to boost their sales and customer loyalty.

With that being said, the focus of today’s blog is to highlight how you can sell mobile apps without any prior knowledge or experience in the industry.

Before you get to the sales process, it is vitally important that the foundation for selling mobile apps has been laid. For example, it is often better to concentrate and specialise in a few key industries rather than spread your expertise too thinly and target everyone. Consider the majority of successful businesses; whether it is Apple, Google or Facebook, they all started off by concentrating on a core product or service before diversifying into new areas.

Reflect on your own experiences and skills when deciding on which industries to target. For example, have you worked in a particular industry sector that you are familiar with? Do you have contacts with people in a certain line of work? Often drawing on your own personal experiences can start to help shape the direction you initially take. The benefit of starting with industry sectors you have some knowledge of will allow you to deliver solutions that resonate with business owners in that industry.

Now that you have identified the types of industries or areas you would like to focus on, the next important part to consider is how a mobile app can benefit the business. Having a clear vision of how a mobile app can benefit your core target businesses is crucial in selling mobile apps over the long term. Confidently articulating the benefits of having a mobile app will help place you as a specialist in your chosen industries.

Having done the preparatory work in identifying key areas to target as well as formulating your pitch, it’s now time to put your best foot forward and walk into see a few businesses. Although this may seem daunting at first, it is the perfect opportunity to iron out any kinks in your pitch and really hone in on delivering your message. Always take some marketing materials with you and where possible, try to visit in off peak hours to maximise your time with decision makers.

While visiting businesses in person is a great way to perfect your pitch and create awareness in your local area, it is a very time consuming way to build your business in the long term. Compiling a list of names, email addresses and phone numbers is the next thing on your to-do-list. Using Google and local business directories should allow you to create a list of potential clients without too much effort or time.

The two primary ways to communicate with your target customers is through email and telephone. Start by calling businesses and asking to speak to the manager or business owner. The key thing here is to locate the decision maker and try to pitch the benefits of a mobile app for their business. When communicating with businesses it is important to be consistent and also persistent with trying to get your message across. While not every attempt to sell will be successful, maximising the amount of times you connect with businesses will increase your chances of success.

An important point to consider at this stage is rejection. For some businesses a mobile app will not be on their radar for a variety of reasons such as cost, time or complexity. Do not let this put you off as staying persistent in your actions will allow you to build momentum. It is also crucial to track all your interactions through the use of a CRM system that allows you to effectively plan your day to day operations.

Relying solely on digital methods to sell mobile apps is not the best strategy to employ. Tried and tested methods of marketing such as sending flyers, brochures and letters in the post is a great way to add the personal touch to your list of contacts. It also helps to set you apart from others in the marketplace by embracing old school tactics that many others disregard.

Having a two pronged attack when it comes to marketing can work wonders when selling mobile apps. Complimenting traditional methods such as posting marketing material with SEO (search engine optimisation) and PPC (Pay Per Click) is a great way to assess which marketing channels are working for you.

Although SEO and PPC can be costly as well as time consuming to initially set up, many individuals and businesses experience significant returns. With search engine popularity increasing on a daily basis, it is a great way to capture new leads.

While the process of selling mobile apps or indeed any product/service can be standardised, it is important to let your personality shine. Engaging with business owners and showing them your human side will always result in sales as people often do business with people they like and trust. By showcasing your personality you will leave a memorable and lasting impression upon business owners which can help foster the type of environment that makes it easier to sell.

As we have seen, there are a number of ways that you can sell mobile apps to businesses to really help them engage with their audience. With some methods more suited to some than others, the key thing is to be persistent and to have fun. To find out how Eazi-Apps can help you offer mobile apps to businesses, contact the head office team today.